Around the World Blog Hop

Chrissie of Chrissie Crafts invited me to take part in this blog hop. The idea is to answer a few questions about your work and then you in turn invite others to do the same. See below whom I have passed the questions on to...or in my case who I follow.

What am I working on?
Like most folks who are creative I have multiple things on the go, nothing like breaking up projects with having several more projects to work on.

As of yesterday I started the preparation work for my next complex piece, a stumpwork dragon, based on the idea of Medieval illuminated manuscripts. 

I'm also stitching a project for myself, the Pretty Little San Francisco design by Satsuma Street. I work on it a little bit at a time in the evenings, so the progress is really, really slow but that's fine by me. I have a feeling though I'll be taking it on my holidays at the end of August to finish it!

I also have the quilt for my bedroom, which needs one more row of blocks for me to cut out and stitch together then it will be the sashing. I'll get all the fabric out again in the coming months to do it.

I know whilst I am working on the dragon I'll be wanting to work on some other new designs that have yet to be thought up. I'd quite like to do another typography piece, just not narrowed down the quote I want to work on next. 

How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I don't think I have a genre? I have a style I think? And I have a craft // technique that I use but don't think i have a genre. So I'll focus on the craft itself to answer this question. My embroidery is different from others because it's me doing the designing. Sure I was taught the same way as my peers that went to the RSN (before they dropped the Apprenticeship) but the way we stitch is different from each other. I'm quite certain if we were given the same design to stitch, and even limited the choice of materials and colours, we'd still work it differently. Put our own little stamp on it. Or even if there was no deviation from the design, materials, stitches and colours and we were forced to do it exactly the same way it would feel a little different. I'm not talking about experience of our stitch work, I am talking about the way we impart a little bit of ourselves into the work we do. Like to think of it like a stitching fingerprint. 

Why do I write/create what I do?
It keeps me sane.

No, really! It's my go to when I am not at work, though I think about stitching all the time. I always carry a notebook around with me so that I jot down an idea, or make a note about how I would do a part of a project. Being creative is a part of me. Take it away and I am not sure I'd be the same person. 

And you know, I have to doodle new designs all the time, otherwise I'd never have an excuse to buy more notebooks:

Just the tip of the iceberg folks, just the tip.

How does my writing/creating process work?
It starts with a doodle. If I can't stop adding to the design, or have already started to figure out how I would stitch it and what materials I'd use then then I'll progress it to tidying up the design and if by the end of that stage I really, really itching to stitching it....THEN I do. Sometimes I can get to this stage and either I am not thrilled with the design as much I thought I was, or I'll do it bit by bit over a longer time or leave it for another day.

Now this is where I should list the next folks to participate and this is where I have to hold my hands up, I've not had the head space to chase folks and by the time I did alas some of them have already done it or couldn't do it. And in some instances I felt a little embarrassed to ask them because I've never approached them before. Very silly I know! So, I don' t like to admit defeat instead I am just going to pick a few folks that I follow and encourage you to go and look at their work, and follow their blogs and you know offer them a cookie or something.

Spirit Cloth - I've been following her work for a couple of years now. I just love not only her style, her ethics and her craftmanship.

Materialistic - love her embroidery designs, and use of colour.

Jen Goodwin - super lady, who frankly works flipping hard. Always stitching, always designing new kits and always teaching. The latter she's really good at.

So there are a few for you to have a look at, and hopefully follow.  

Baking - Sharing is optional

It is true what they say that practice makes perfect, at least I find that with baking and I must say I am really getting into the rhythm of making Iced Buns. They are such a cheerful, easy recipe to make that is just lush with a cup of fresh tea.

So here is the recipe enjoy!

Ingredients:

500g White Bread Mix (usually only costs about 85p)

100g Caster Sugar

1 Medium Egg

300g Icing Sugar & some luke warm water (1 tbsp if not more..take it slowly when you add it.)

Sprinkles and Colouring (I use pastes and natural colours)

250 - 300 ml of Luke warm water

Method:

1. Preheat an oven to about 200 for non-fan over or 180 for fan
2. Pulse together the bread mix and sugar in a processor
3. Whilst the mixer is running add the egg and the water until a soft dough is formed, I find that it gets rather sticky but don't panic. 
4. Tip it out of the bowl onto a floured surface and with either lightly oiled hands or dusted with flour knead it. And keep dusting with flour if it keeps on being sticky. Patience. Knead for a good 5 - 10 minutes or until your wrist gives out.
5. Form into a nice smooth ball and put into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film leave in a warm spot until the dough double in sizes. Usually takes a good thirty minutes to an hour.
6. Once doubled, or nearest dammit, knock it back with your fist (good stress relief).
7. Get a tray and lightly oil it and now divide the mixture up into as many decent sized pieces I usually get about 16. You could probably get more, but aim for about golf ball size if not a bit bigger..play it won't really matter. Now you can either roll into sausage shapes or keep them proper bun shaped. I've had more success with them looking like round buns than iced bun fingers.
8. Leave to rest on the tray, covered with cling film (may want to oil but I've had no issues with not), let it double in size again.
9. Then once doubled put in your preheated oven for between 7 - 9 minutes or until they have a slightly golden, basically they look a bit like a bread roll. Leave to cool on a wired rack.
10. Fun time! Ice and decorate your buns. You want your icing to be nice and thick too runny and it goes everywhere. So keep it stiff as possible. Put the sprinkles before the icing sets.
11. Sit back and eat with a nice cup of tea. Sharing is optional. 

YUMMY

Even made....Foccacia!
It's not all for me, I am actually having a picnic tomorrow but had this recipe that I wanted to try, and it's not turned out to badly!